Review: These Days Plus CR Unreleased Tracks
 

Alright, since I don't really wanna do Crossroads, give me These Days and then the 2 unreleased tracks (Someday I'll Be Saturday Night, Always) . It's time for the review, give me some things that pop out at you or give a few sentences.

Ryan

These Days is my favourite BJ album. I think that at that time, they were strongest musically and lyrically. The album is also special to me as it was the first records I bought :D
I like SIBSN and Always, but if i listen to them too much I get sick of them

These Days - a masterpiece. No need to say more about it 8)

And Always and Saturday Night I think are awesome. Usually compilations have fillers - well, I don't know if these were intended as such, but they surely became two of Bon Jovi's best songs IMO 8)

For me TD and Crossroads is the peak of Bon jovis's career. Artistically (is that correct english??) they were at their best at the mid 90s. Commercially crossroads was very succesful and TD did not sell so good, but that is less important to me. Their biggest commercial succes was from 1986 to 1990. And their music at that time still rocks but it's not as refined as TD.

everything from the production to the arrangements to the songs to the performances is outstanding on these days.

the only things i dont like on the album are damned and all i want is everything not because they're bad but just seem a bit pale compared to the rest of the album.

saturday night is one of those songs that wa sprobably wrote in about 10 minutes flat but is just great despite that. one of my favourite live tunes and you've got to love the tele sound all over it. dont get too much of that on bon jovi records.

always was what got me into bon jovi. sometime3s i get sick of it sometimes i cant get enough of it but it's the best ballad theyve done IMO

The new tracks on Cross Road are neutral to me. I don't really like 'em, but I don't hate 'em either.

These Days is one of my least favorite Bon Jovi albums. OK, I said it. Everyone beat me up now. I just think it's way, way, way too depressing for a Bon Jovi album. When I think of Bon Jovi, I think of optimism, not this. I guess they summed it up in My Guitar Lies Bleeding in My Arms with the lyrics "I can't sing no song of hope" (but don't get me wrong- My Guitar is one of the rare sparks of genius on that album).

Over time the album gets repeditive. This Ain't a Love Song feels like it's trying to recapture the spirit of Always, Hearts Breaking Even is it's sequel and (It's Hard) Letting You Go makes it a trilogy. Overall, the songs are too repetitive, too sad, too long, too... um... sweary. Plus all those messy break up songs sung by a married father soud a little implausable.

But it's not all bad. About a fourth of the album is good. I gotta say, the title track is amazing.

These Days is easily my favorite BJ album. I don't find it depressing at all actually, I also don't find the lyrics to be particularly 'deep' - though, they do have more meaning than Bon Jovi or Farenheit. In fact, it's an album I respect ALL lyrics of - which I cannot say for Crush or Bounce (which I think show hardly any lyrical talent at all).

The only song I skip is Hey God and Diamond Ring - nothing wrong with it - just not my thing.

Favorite song is probably Damned - mostly because it is sooo different and doesn't bear the traditional BJ signature.

Diamond Ring was played at my wedding and I can't stand it now - it is cheesy and almost stalker material - though that might be psychological. :roll:

As far as Crossroads - I remember being quite annoyed at BJ when that album was released and it confirmed my view of them being done and over with just like the rest of the 80s bands. I didn't pick it up until fairly recently - like 2 or 3 years ago.

I like both new tracks on it - Always is an outstanding song as is Saturday Night.

nothing like setting a doomed marriage off with a tune about obsession eh?

To put it short: TD is nothing but crap. Production-wise it is good work, but it just isn't "bon jovi" album. Jovi tried to appear as serious rock band, failing. On both occasions, seriousness sounds comical, and rock turned more and more into pop. Hearing tracks live, some are close to ok though.

I used to hate Hey God with a passion and thought it stopped the CD from being my "complete" (literally :P) favourite. And I always, always skipped the song. Now I don't skip it and don't think it's so very awful anymore. It'll never be my favourite, but it has somehow grown on me.